Machine for applying label tear strips to containers



Dec. 4, 1962 F. REMINGTON ETAL 3,056,723

MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABEL TEAR STRIPS TO CONTAINERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Aug. 21, 1961 Dec. 4, 1962 F. REMINGTON ETAL MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABEL TEAR STRIPS TO CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 21, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 4, 1962 F. REMINGTON ETAL 3,066,723

MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABEL TEAR STRIPS To CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 2l, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l NVENTOM: Frede @n 72 we nitA tat atnt 3,056,723 4Patentedl Dec. 4, 1962 dre 3,066,723 MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABEL TEAR STRIPS 'I CGNTAINERS Frederic Remington, Elizabeth, and Richard A. Tartaglia,

East Grange, NJ., assignors to Peerless Tube Company,

Bloomfield, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 132,787 6 Claims. (Cl. 156-522) Containers having strippable or easily removable labels have come into wide use in the last few years, particularly collapsible tubes containing pharmaceutical substances, examples thereof being described in Patents Nos. 2,855,707 and 2,940,196, dated respectively October 14, 1958, and June 14, 1960, but the strippable labels disclosed in those patents comprise synthetic plastic compositions that remain intimately associated with the metal surface of the container and have peeling properties when broken as by a fingernail, lifted and pulled for removing the coating from the container.

The present invention contemplates a tear strip of suitable material applied to the container and a strippable label or coating applied to the container and overlying the tear strip, one end of the tear strip being exposed so that by gripping said end between the index linger and the thumb, the user of the container may pull the tear strip and thus tear or rip the label which can be peeled off the container `after the label has been torn by the tear strip; and one object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method and machine for applying such `a tear strip to containers such as metal collapsible tubes, pressure dispensing or aerosol cans, and the like. A Another object is to provide a method and machine of this character wherein the end portion of a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof is iadhesively applied to the outer surface of the -wall of the container and progressively withdrawn from a supply roll and applied to the container wall longitudinally thereof, in a novel and improved, simple and inexpensive manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a machine which shall include the novel and improved construction and combination of means for holding and presenting the containers such as collapsible tubes in succession to a strip-applying station, automatic means for pressing one end of the tear strip against the container wall and for thereafter laying and pressing the strip on the container wall longitudinally thereof, and means for severing the strip after a predetermined length thereof has been applied to the container wall.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE l is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention showing the parts in the positions assumed as the tear strip is initially pressed yagainst the container wall;

FIGURE 1A is la perspective view of a collapsible tube having a tear strip applied thereto in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is -a front elevation of the machine;

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 showing the parts in the positions -assumed at the end of the stripapplying operation, ready for starting of another stripapplying operation;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged top plan View of a portion of the machine shown in FIGURES l to 3, inclusive, taken from the plane of the line 4-4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic side elevation of a portion of the machine with the parts in the positions shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view showing the positions of 2 the parts during the initial pressing of the strip against the container Wall;

FIGURE 7 is a similar View showing the operation of progressively applying the strip to the container;

FIGURE 8 is a view like FIGURE 7 showing the severing of the strip at the end of the applying operation;

FIGURE 9 is 'an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the strip-applying rollers, taken on the plane of the line 9`-9 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE l() is la schematic rear elevation of the machine on a reduced scale taken approximately from the plane of the line 1li-10 of FIGURE l.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the machine is shown as including a mechanism generally designated A for holding the containers such as collapsible tubes C and presenting them intermittently in succession to la tear Strip applying station at which a tear strip is applied to each container by a stripapplying mechanism generally designated B.

While the construction of the mechanism A may be Widely varied, it has been shown for the purpose of illustration as comprising a turret disk 1 journaled on a horizontal axis in a bearing 2 that is mounted on a fixed support D which is a part of the frame E of the machine, in predetermined relation to the strip-applying mechanism B. Mounted on and projecting from one side of the turret are a plurality of spindles 3a` each to slidably receive and support a container such as a collapsible tube C which may be applied to the spindle manually or` automatically in known manner as desired. The turret disk is rotated intermittently or step by step by suitable means such as a Geneva gear generally designated G, a driving pin d of which is mounted on a drive and stop member 5 which in turn is mounted on a countershaft 6 journaled in the support D of the machine frame and driven in any suitable manner as by a chain 7 running over sprockets 8 and 9 on the countershaft 6 and the output shaft 10 of the electric motor 11, respectively. With this construction, when the machine is operating, the turret disk will be rotated intermittently in steps corresponding to the spacing of the spindles 3 so as to present the spindles and the containers thereon in succession to the strip-applying station generally designated X as best shown in FIGURE 2. As each container reaches said station, its outer end is brought into sliding abutment with a blocking plate 12 xedly mounted on the frame to hold the container against being pulled off the spindle during the strip-applying operation.

While the container is at the strip-applying station with its outer end abutting the blocking plate 12, the tear strip is applied thereto. The mechanism B for applying the tear strip is shown as comprising a support-slide 13 which has a bearing sleeve 14 slidable longitudinally on a horizontal support-guide rod 15 the ends of which are fixed in brackets 16 on the frame E. A brace arm 17 is rigidly connected to and projects laterally from the support-slide and has thereon a roller 118 which rolls in a guide vtrack 19 that is secured on the frame E and comprises two parallel bars Ztl one at each side of the roller, and secured together at their ends as by screws or bolts 2i. 'I'he support-slide is reciprocated in a vertical plane toward and away from the turret disk 1 by suitable means which is shown as comprising a link 22 having one end pivotally connected to the slide and the other end pivotally connected at 23 to one end of the lever 24 the other end of which is pivotally connected at 25 to the frame E. The lever 24 is oscillated by -a link 26 having its opposite ends pivotally connected respectively to the lever 24 at 27 and to one arm of a bell crank lever 28 as indicated at 29. The bell crank 28 is pivotally connected at 30 to the frame and has its other arm pivotally connected to one end of a link section 31 the other end of which is pivotally connected to another link section 32 which is in turn connected to a crank 33 on the countershaft 6. With this construction, it will be obvious that upon rotation of the countershaft 6, the bell crank 28 will be oscillated land in turn, through the link 26, will oscillate the lever 24 which in turn, thnough the link 22, will reciprocate the support-slide 13.

`A supply roll F of strip material having a pressure sensitive adhesive on one side thereof is mounted to rotate on a stud 34 which projects laterally from the bracket 3S on the support-slide. The strip may be of any suitable type, for example, la synthetic plastic composition, such as the well-known Scotch brand cellophane tape. The strip may be of suitable width depending upon the size of the container to which it is to be applied, but for an ordinary collapsible tube, the width of about 3/{16 of an inch is satisfactory. The strip is pulled off the roll and passes over a main guide roller 36 which is journaled on a stud 37 that projects laterally from the support-slide 13, the end portion of the strip being threaded between rollers 38 and 39 that are journaled on the end of one arm 40 of a bell crank lever 41 pivoted on the stud 39, the other arm 42 of which is pivotally connected to the armature or core 43 of an electromagnet 44 which is xedly mounted on the support-slide. As shown, the core or armature l43 is pivotally connected at 45 to one end of a `rod 46 which is slidably mounted in the bell crank arm 41 and has a nut 47 thereon between which and the bell crank arrn is interposed a compression spring 47 so that upon rotation of the nut in the proper direction the relationship of the bell crank and the electromagnet core may be adjusted to position the rollers 33 and 39 for proper contact with the container. In order to keep the strip under tension, preferably a roller 48 underlies the strip between the roller 36 and the supply roll F and is carried by an arm 49 which is pivotally mounted on the stud 37 and normally biased by a spring 50 to hold the strip taut between the supply roll and the point at which the strip is held between rollers 38 and 39.

Preferably one of the rollers is larger than the other and is formed of a resilient material such as rubber, while the roller against which the adhesive side of the strip bears is formed of metal `and has a serrated surface, all as best shown in FIGURE 9.

The parts are so associated and related that the rollers 38 and 39 will be disposed in a common vertical axial plane of the spindle and container at the strip-applying station as best shown in FIGURE 2, and normally the rollers are held above the container at the strip-applying station and outwardly of or beyond the outer end of the container as best shown in FIGURE 3, and one end of 'the strip projects beyond the rollers as shown for example in FIGURES 3 and 9. When the machine is started, as by energizing of the motor 11, the support-slide is slid toward the turret disk from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 5, whereupon the electromagnet 44 is energized and its core 43 swings the bell crank lever 41 to move the rollers downwardly and press the end portion of the tear `strip against the outer surface of the container wall as shown in FIGURE 6, the roller 39 pressing" the end of the strip against the container under the force applied by the electromagnet. The electromagnet is connected into circuit by suitable relays and Switches that are well known but are not illustrated so as to momentarily hold the roller 39 in the position shown in FIGURE 6, and while the roller is so held, the support-slide is slid in the opposite direction, away from the turret disk `as shown in FIGURE 7 so as to apply the tear strip adhesively to the container longitudinally thereof. After a predetermined length of the strip has been so applied, for example at the end of the container, the electromagnet is de-energized and the bell crank lever 41 is swung in the opposite direction by a tension spring 52 one end of which is connected to the bell crank lever at 53 while its other end is connected to a pin 54 rigidly secured in the support-slide. As the rollers 38 and 39 are raised due to this movement of the bell crank lever, the strip is brought into engagement with a cutting blade 55 which is mounted on the support-slide, and the tension applied to the strip by the bell crank and rollers causes the strip to be severed along the edge of the blade 55 thereby leaving on the container a portion F of the strip that will serve as a tear Strip for a coating or label applied to the outer surface of the container in overlying relation to the tear strip. Preferably a coating of known type will be applied by the known type of coating mechanism generally designated H and shown by the dot-and-dash lines in FIGURE 2, the containers on the spindles being presented to the coating rollers in succession after they have had the tear strips applied thereto.

Any suitable means may be utilized for controlling the energization and de-energization of the coil or winding of the electromagnet 44, but for the purpose of illustration a normally open microswitch 56 is mounted on the frame of the machine and has an actuating lever 57 which is engaged and pressed by a switch actuator finger 59 when the support-slide has been actuated so as to locate the rollers 33 and 39 at the starting point for the application of the tear strip to the container as shown in FIGURE l. Another similar microswitch 60 is mounted on the frame and has an actuating lever 61 which is moved by engagement therewith of a portion 62 of the support-slide when the support-slide is in its outermost or normal position shown in FIGURE 3, to `de-energize the electromagnetic coil and permit the bell crank lever 41 to be swung by the spring 52 into a position `to move the rollers 38 and 39 away from the container. The two switches 56 and 60 will be connected in circuit with the electromagnet 44 and a suitable relay mechanism in known manner, and also the circuit will include the motor and start-and-stop switches 63 and 64, respectively, mounted in a control box 65 secured on the frame of the machine. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the electromagnet 44 must be connected in the circuit through a iloating cable 66 which connects the magnet to the junction box 67, to allow for the bodily movement of the electromagnet with the support-slide.

As will be understood by those skilled in the ar-t, preferably a drag or brake is provided to prevent overruuning of the supply roll F, and as shown, a compression spring 68 is mounted on the stud 34 between a nut 69 and a friction disk 70 that 4bears against one side of the supply roll.

While we have shown and described the invention as embodied in certain structural details, it will be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention and that many modiiications and changes can be made in the construction of the machine and in the method within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof, comprising a frame, acontainer holder on said frame for rigidly holding a container stationarily in a predetermined position, a support-slide reciprocably mounted on said frame for movement alternately in opposite directions parallel to said container holding means and means for reciprocating it, means on said supportslide for rotatably supporting a supply roll of said strip, means on said support-slide for holding the end portion of said strip in predetermined relation -to the supply roll and at a point in spaced relation to the extremity of the strip, said holding means normally being biased into rest position in spaced relation to said container holder, actuating means for automatically actuating Said strip holding means at a predetermined point in the movement of said support-slide relatively to said container holder to press the end portion of the strip that projects beyond said holding means into contact with the surface of a container on said container holder to adhesively attach said portion to the container, movement of the support-slide in the opposite direction away from the container holder and said adhesively attached portion causing the strip to be unwound from the roll, and means coactive with said strip holding means upon movement of the latter into its rest position for severing the Strip between said holding means and the portion of the strip attached to the container.

2. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for holding the end portion of said Strip comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support-slide and having a pair of spaced rollers thereon between which said strip is threaded.

3. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof, as delined in claim 1, wherein said lever is pivoted between its ends `and said rollers are at one end, said lever is biased into rest position by a spring having its opposite ends connected respectively to the other end of said lever and to the support-slide, and the actuating means for actuating said strip holding means toward the container holder comprises an electromagnet having its armature pivotally connected to the second-mentioned end of said lever.

4. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof, as defined in claim 3, with the addition of means for energizing said electromagnet at a predetermined point in the movement of said support-slide in one direction to swing said strip holding means toward the container holder, and means for de-energizing the electromagnet at a predetermined point in the movement of the support-slide in the opposite direction to permit biasing of said lever into its rest position.

5. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip or" material having adhesive on one side thereof, as defined in claim l, wherein the container holder cnniprises a turret rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis and having a plurality of spindles pro- Jiecting therefrom each to telescopically receive a container, and means for rotating the turret intermittently to present said spindles and the containers thereon in succession to a strip-applying station and in timed relation to the reciprocation of said support-slide toward and away from said station.

6. A machine for applying to the outer surface of a container a strip of material having adhesive on one side thereof, as defined in claim 5, with the addition of a blocking plate on said frame at said strip-applying station to be abutted by the outer end of 'the container at said station and hold the container against being pulled off the spindle during the strip-applying operation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,234,215 Rhode July 24, 1917 2,607,508 Clampitt Aug. 19, 1952 2,776,068 Johnson Ian. 1, 1957 

